To examine the risk of fracture in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with population-based controls.

METHODS:

A population-based cohort study was performed in the Dutch PHARMO Record Linkage System (1998-2008). Patients with MS (n = 2,415) were matched by year of birth, sex, and practice to up to 6 patients without MS (controls). We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of fracture in MS. Time-dependent adjustments were made for age, history of disease, and drug use.

The risk of osteoporotic fracture was significantly greater for patients with MS who had been prescribed antidepressants (HR 3.25 [95% CI 1.77-5.97]) or hypnotics/anxiolytics (HR 3.40 [95% CI 2.06-5.63]) in the previous 6 months, compared with controls.

CONCLUSIONS:

Increased awareness of the risk of hip fracture is warranted in patients with MS, especially in those who have recently been prescribed antidepressants or hypnotics/anxiolytics.

Is this study saying that the use antidepressants makes ones bones more brittle? Bad drugs?
Of course people with MS are more likely to fall and possibly fracture something. After all, we don't roll (or fall, for that matter) like we once did.
Or are they implying that perhaps antidepressants make one more carefree, and hence careless?

nuthatch, they're not saying anything about antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. They're just saying that they found a connection between the use of them and the number of fractures in people with MS. This might mean that people who have recently had these drugs prescribed tend to be more frail than those who haven't. Or it might mean that there's something going on chemically--the drugs might have a way of acting on our bodies that hasn't been discovered yet.

At least that's how I read it. Since it was a fairly large study, involving 2,415 people, it might turn out to have some significance.

Correlation doesn't imply causation--I think I've probably garbled that saying but I've heard something like that. Studies can find correlations, but there have to be more studies before the reason can be found. Or maybe there's no reason. It might just be coincidence.

Still, it's nice to know they're working on the MS problem. Or at least I think it's nice to know.

These kinds of expensive studies, just to keep our scientists busily employed, make me ill..grrrrr. I've had MS for over 40 yrs and on ADs for at least 15 yrs. If I didn't break anything, when I fell in the garage in Nov (and didn't), then my bones are not brittle or even close to brittle.

MS weakens us and so we don't get the proper exercise to keep our bones and muscles strong. We don't eat properly or get enough minerals and vitamins to protect our bones. These things along with heredity and lifestyle heighthen our chances for Osteo.

And of course, a bunch of MS Peeps are on ADs (go figure), so, if we have MS and have Osteo. and take ADs, then it must be the ADs, right? Rediculous. So all this expensive study did was to lead to more expensive studies.

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